Making Chores Fun For Kids!

Children from a very young age love the feeling of accomplishing new things! By giving them tasks, it helps to build their self confidence, and helps them to not fear trying new things. It is very important for kids to have age appropriate chores as they grow, to help them develop in all areas! The important thing is to make sure that the work that they are doing isn't a bad experience for them. Turning something as drab as chores into a fun game, with great rewards will get your little helper up and moving faster than you can blink!

All children are different in their abilities, so it is important to establish chores that are age appropriate. Obviously having your three year old washing the floor, is a mess waiting to happen, but there are plenty of other things they can do. I always love to give the kids options as to what chores they want to do, so they feel like they are getting to make a decision. A fantastic way for them to start to build decision making skills, as well as avoiding any unnecessary arguments.

3 Years Old

Pick up their dirty clothes and throw them into the hamper

Put away all of their toys

Wipe down the table

Make sure all dishes are in the sink

4-5 Years Old

Make their bed

Clean their room

Dust

Set/Clear table

Put away their clean folded laundry

6-7 Years Old

Wipe down counters

Sweep

Load dishwasher

Put in a new garbage bag

8-10 Years Old

Wash dishes

Put dishes away

Wipe bathroom sink

Take the garbage out

Set table

Help prepare food

11+ Years Old

Clean and organize fridge

Take garbage cans to the curb

Prepare their lunch for the next day

Vacuum

Mop

Grab the mail

As you see there are plenty of ways children can help around the house!

As you see there are plenty of ways children can help around the house! Just make sure to remind them how well they are doing!

One thing I think kids need to do is more chores, and take care of their own rooms. Responsibilities are really important to start them with. If they have animals, they have to feed them and care for them. That's the only way I think I could do it.

— Faith Ford

10 Minute Dash!

One of the things that I loved as a kid was the fact that my mother who worked three jobs and went to school full time didn't stress over the little things. If our rooms were un-tidy she shut the door. As long as our chores were done she didn't ask for much other then a ten minute clean up dash every single night. After dinner she would put on the radio and in ten minutes we all ran around the house and cleaned like mad men. If we did it we were able to all sit down and enjoy some family time. Believe it or not it made a HUGE difference without the breakdowns that most kids have. Our house stayed clean and it made our Saturday morning deep cleaning much easier. It diminished the stress of fighting and my mother was content.

Try adding the ten minute dash to your daily schedule and see how much it helps!

Get Involved!

We all know how crazy it can get between, work, school, shopping, cleaning, and other responsibilities we face all week long. Not only does it make parents (or nannies in my case) extremely tired, but it also restricts the amount of time spent with the kids. It is amazing to see how a child responds when a parent is interacting with them in a positive manor, instead of when the child is being scolded.

So when it comes time to doing chores around the house, take a few minutes to help them with their tasks. Talk, get involved in a conversation about school, friends, or anything that your child may be into at their given age. By just taking that short amount of time, your child will know that you are there for them. By taking the interaction a step further and making it a regular thing, you will find that your relationship and bond will grow!

At What Age Did You Decide To Give Your Child Chores?

Turn up the music and dance the dust away! Get your children laughing and dancing as they are doing their chores. A great "clean up" game to play is to play the music while your child runs around picking up, and when you stop the music they have to freeze. Almost like freeze dance, but chores style!

Clean Up By Colors!

When doing a basic pickup shout out a color. Then it is your child's job to run around and find everything that color that needs to be put away. Great for those who are starting to learn their colors! Both educational, fun, and beneficial!

Dust Bunny Dash!

Using a pair of old or mismatched socks, place them on the hands and feet of your child. Have them run around the house and find all of the dust bunnies they can! You will be surprised where their little hands can fit!

Vacuum Monster!

Much like the old playground game "Lava Monster" they are trying not to get eaten, or their things eaten by the great and terrifying Vacuum Monster! Pull out the vacuum and tell the kids that they have to get the things off of the floor before the Vaccum Monster gets them! Watch them dart around grabbing things, avoiding the vacuum all awhile having a great time!